Attracting more tourists by taking account of their cultural background
Marinel Gerritsen
Professor of Intercultural Business Communication Department of Business Communication StudiesRadboud University NijmegenThe [email protected]
Three aspects of marketing communication of a tourist area that will be dealt with
a) Content of the information about the area (text and pictures)
b) Communication media used to convey information about the tourist area
c) Form of the communication
Outline of the paper
1. A model and a hypothesis that indicate that responding to the communicative conventions of the culture of a target group might be an important device in attracting tourists
A communication model The similarity attraction hypothesis
2. Which elements of culture: visible and/or invisible elements?
3. Applying knowledge of the values of the target group in the marketing communication of a tourist area
4. Adapting to the communication style of the target group
5. Implications for tourist marketers
In communication at least two persons are involved
• Sender A person who sends a message in the form of symbols for example words, pictures
• ReceiverA person who interpretes these symbols and deduces a message from these symbols
Effective communication
Communication between sender and receiver is most effective if the interpretation of the message by the receiver is similar to what the sender intended to communicate with the message
SENDERMessage
Targowski/Bowman Layer-based pragmatic communication model
RECEIVER Message
SessionLink
StorageRetrieval
PhysicalLink
AudienceLink
SystemsLink
Environ-ment Link
Functions& Role
SymbolsLink
BehaviorLink
ValueLink
L10 L9 L7
L6
L5
L4
L3
L2
L8
L1
L6
L5
L4
L3
L2
L1
L7 L8 L9 L10
Twitter in Europe, the more colour the more twitter is used
SENDERMessage
Targowski/Bowman Layer-based pragmatic communication model
RECEIVER Message
SessionLink
StorageRetrieval
PhysicalLink
AudienceLink
SystemsLink
Environ-ment Link
Functions& Role
SymbolsLink
BehaviorLink
ValueLink
L10 L9 L7
L6
L5
L4
L3
L2
L8
L1
L6
L5
L4
L3
L2
L1
L7 L8 L9 L10
10
The marketer of the tourist area has to adapt to the communicative conventions of the target group and has to realize
In intercultural marketing communication, what matters is not what you show, but how it is seen, and not what you say but how you are heard
Similarity attraction hypothesis
The more similar two individuals are, the higher the attraction between them
…… and that is precisely what a tourist area wants: attract tourists.
Ng et al (2007): Tourist marketers should taken into account cultural similarities between their tourist area and the target group in their image building of a tourist area.
Similarity between which elements of a culture play the major role in attracting tourist?
13
values
rituals
heroes
symbols
practic
es
Model of culture: Hofstede's onion-diagram
Symbols
16
Tea rituals in Japan
17
values
rituals
heroes
symbols
practic
es
Model of culture: Hofstede's onion-diagram
18
Model of culture: The floating ice berg of Edward T. Hall
Behavior, customs, language , history
1/9 visible elements
Values, perception of the world, way of thinking ,presuppositions
8/9 invisible elements
Similarity between which elements of the models of culture should be taken account by tourist marketers: the visible or invisible elements?
Invisible elements, values
Why taking account of the invisible elements?-1
Because tourists travel to see and experience new things, and they can especially observe the visible elements of a culture
Two questions that call for further research:
1. Do touristst from high uncertainty avoidance cultures (“what is different is dangerous”) and tourists from low uncertainty avoidance cultures (“what is different is interesting”) differ in the extent to which visible elements of a culture attract them?
2. Do difference between tourist area and target group in all visible aspects of a culture play the same role in attraction?
Why taking account of the invisible elements? -2
• Values are learned at one’s mother knee
• By the age of twelve a child has acquired values and because this learning process has taken place so early and unconsciouslousy, a person believes that persons all over the world have the same values
22
Six basic values (Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck 1961)
1. Human nature
2. Underlying motives for acting
3. Human Relations
4. Time
5. Space
6. Person-Nature
23
16 values anno 2012 and the six basic values of (Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck 1961)
1. Human nature
2. Underlying motives for actingIndulgence-Restraint (Hofstede)
Uncertainty Avoidance (Hofstede)Masculinity-Feminity (Hofstede)
3. Human RelationsCollectivism-Individualism (Hofstede)Power distance (Hofstede)Particularism-Universalism (Trompenaars)Achieved-scribed status (Trompenaars)Neutral-Affective (Trompenaars)
4. TimePast, present, future (Trompenaars)Polychrony-monochrony (Hall)Confucian Dynamism (Hofstede)
5. SpacePersonal space (Hall)Private-Public (Hall)Specific-Diffuse (Trompenaars
6. Person-Nature
24
16 values anno 2012 and the six basic values of (Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck 1961)
1. Human nature
2. Underlying motives for actingIndulgence-Restraint (Hofstede)
Uncertainty Avoidance (Hofstede)Masculinity-Feminity (Hofstede)
3. Human RelationsCollectivism-Individualism (Hofstede)Power distance (Hofstede)Particularism-Universalism (Trompenaars)Achieved-scribed status (Trompenaars)Neutral-Affective (Trompenaars)
4. TimePast, present, future (Trompenaars)Polychrony-monochrony (Hall)Confucian Dynamism (Hofstede)
5. SpacePersonal space (Hall)Private-Public (Hall)Specific-Diffuse (Trompenaars
6. Person-Nature
Indulgence versus restraint ( the 6th value of Hofstede (Hofstede, Hofstede, Minkov 2010, p. 281))
IndulgenceA tendency to allow relatively free gratification of basic and natural human desires related to enjoying life and having fun
RestraintA conviction that such gratification needs to be curbed and regulated by strict social norms
Indulgence versus restraint and attracting tourists
ContentIndulgence: aspects of a tourist area that show that one can have fun, enjoy life and pamper oneselfRestraint: aspects of a tourist area that are related to learn something (history, geography, art)
Communication mediaIndulgence: glossy, glamorousRestraint: serious books, flyers
Uncertainty avoidance
The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations
High uncertainty avoidance : “What is different is dangerous”
Low uncertainty avoidance: “What is different is interesting”
Uncertainty avoidance and attracting tourists
ContentHigh uncertainty avoidance: package tours, all inclusive, travelling in groups, well
known hotel chains, well known destinations, booking long before the journey, risk free activities, transparency of information (facts and figures), strengthen de confidence of travelers by assuring stability, free insurance, guarantee of personal safety and security
Low uncertainty avoidance: new things, adventures, last minutes, bed and breakfast
Communication mediaHigh uncertainty avoidance: travel agencyLow uncertainty avoidance: internet, word of mouth
Form of the communicationHigh uncertainty avoidance: precise, facts and figures, information long before the
journey will take place Low uncertainty avoidance: last minute information
Masculinity versus Femininity
Masculine Emotional gender roles are clearly distinct: men are supposed to be assertive, tough and focussed on material success, whereas women are supposed to be more modest, tender and concerned with the quality of life
FeminineEmotional gender roles overlap: both men and women are supposed to be modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life
Masculinity versus femininity and attracting tourists
ContentMasculine: division of gender roles, one can show achievement in
personal life and in for example sport and financial soundness during the holiday
Feminine: no division of gender roles, environment friendly, sustainability, one helps the population by visiting the area as a tourist , social responsibility, development assistance
Communication mediaMasculine: media that show achievement (glossy magazines)Feminine: simple environment friendly media
Collectivism versus Individualism
Individualism Ties between individuals are loose: everyone is expected to look after him- or herself and his or her immediate family
Collectivism People are from birth onward integrated into strong, cohesive in-groups, which throughout people’s lifetime, continue to protect then in exchange for unquestioning loyalty
Collectivism versus individualism and attracting tourists
ContentCollectivistic: to have a holiday with the whole (extended) family and the
possibility to travel in groups Individualistic: individual activities that are tailor made to the individual
desires
Communication mediaCollectivistic: more reliance on family/ friends or company colleagues for
travel information Individualistic: more reliance on the internet
Form of the communicationCollectivistic: high context, indirect, flowery style, metaphors, narrativesIndividualistic: low context, direct, facts and figures
Power distance
The extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organizations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally
Power distance and attracting tourists
ContentHigh power distance: highest quality and service, you will be treated as
a queen, well known destinations (Montreux!), the most important, powerful and famous people of the world were here too.
Low power distance: population of the area is easily approachable
Communication mediaHigh power distance: glossy, luxurious brochuresLow power distance: internet
Form of the communicationHigh power distance: show respect to elderly and people with powerLow power distance: you will be one of us
Past, present, future orientation
People differ in the way they think about the past, present and future, which of the three is most important and how they are related
Past, present, future orientation in a number of countries
Past, present, future orientation and attracting tourists
ContentPast: history, historical monuments, archeology, glorious past Present: modern buildings, modern life, hic et nunc mentality,
innovations
Polychrony and monochrony
In monochronic cultures time is sequentially ordered, one prefers to do one thing at the same time and one does not like to change schedules that are settled
In polychronic cultures one likes to do several things simultaneously and schedules are not important and can be changed easily
Polychrony and monochrony and attracting tourists
ContentPolychronic: appointments can be changed easily and time is flexibleMonochronic: everything will be organized in the way that is announced
before, in time, there will be no changes in schedules
Communication mediaPolychronic: many different media and information about an area has not
to be univocalMonochronic: univocal, same information everywhere
Form of the communicationPolychronic: communication way be woollyMonochronic: facts and figures, direct, logically structured, sound
communication
40
16 values anno 2012 and the six basic values of (Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck 1961)
1. Human nature
2. Underlying motives for actingIndulgence-Restraint (Hofstede)
Uncertainty Avoidance (Hofstede)Masculinity-Feminity (Hofstede)
3. Human RelationsCollectivism-Individualism (Hofstede)Power distance (Hofstede)Particularism-Universalism (Trompenaars)Achieved-scribed status (Trompenaars)Neutral-Affective (Trompenaars)
4. TimePast, present, future (Trompenaars)Polychrony-monochrony (Hall)Confucian Dynamism (Hofstede)
5. SpacePersonal space (Hall)Private-Public (Hall)Specific-Diffuse (Trompenaars
6. Person-Nature
Communication style
The Context theory of Edward T. Hall
Cultures differ in the extent to which they use context and situation for the interpretation of a message
In high-context cultures, most of the meaning of a message is deduced from the context in which the words occur, for example non-verbal communication, and the setting of the communication
In low-context cultures, the meaning of a message is primarily deduced from the words
Context and attracting tourists
Form of the communicationHigh context: implicit, indirect, flowery, narrative, poetry-like, non-verbalLow context: explicit, direct, to the point, no waste of words
Communication mediaHigh context: media with a high information richness ( face-to-face
communication, travel agencies)Low context: media with a low information richness (travel guides, e-
mail, letter, text message, twitter )
Implications for tourist marketers
• Determine target markets
• Adapt the communication about a tourist destination to the communicative conventions of the culture of the target group regarding: - content (text ánd pictures), - communicaiton media used to convey the message- form of the message
This implies market segmentation and different marketing approaches for different target groups (Reisinger and Turner 2002, Frias et al 2011)
Suggestion: web sites tailor made for each target group. Just as tourist areas have web sites in different language they could have web sites for different cultures (reduction of costs by asking students from the target group cultures to help with content and design)
Consequences for education of tourist marketers
Future tourist managers should have knowledge about the cultural background of their customers (Tsang and al 2007).
More information: [email protected]
